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A28 u.s. news
Diabierna 25 September 2020

Progressives pledge to keep pushing Biden to expand court

the GOP push to quickly fill legitimate any election he
Ginsburg's seat is a “gigantic loses. He cited “the danger
mistake and abuse of power.” that this country faces from a
Some progressives said Gins- president who is a pathologi-
burg's death laid bare why cal liar, who has strong au-
they're backing Biden. thoritarian tendencies, who
“Voting for Joe Biden is not neither understands nor re-
about whether you agree spects our Constitution and
with him. It’s a vote to let our who is prepared to under-
democracy live another day," mine American democracy in
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez order to stay in power.”
said on Instagram last week. The voting results may be
The New York congress- disputed and trigger a legal
woman spent months ex- fight, Sanders said, noting
pressing skepticism toward that Trump "is attempting
Biden but also was co-leader to push through a Supreme
of a task force on climate Court justice who may very
change that top Biden sup- well cast a vote in a case that
porters and advisers formed will determine the outcome
with their counterparts from of this election.”
Sanders' unsuccessful presi- Rather than mentioning ex-
dential campaign to try to panding the Supreme Court,
better reach consensus on top Sanders said the way to coun-
issues. Those groups made ter that is to have the largest
policy recommendations that voter turnout in U.S. history.
(AP) — Since Joe Biden ran founding a firm to advance helped shape the Democratic “This is not just an election
away with the Democratic progressive causes, Amare During his first extended Party platform, which was between Donald Trump and
presidential nomination in Public Affairs. comments Sunday about adopted at its national con- Joe Biden," Sanders said.
March, leading progressives The Constitution doesn't Ginsburg's death, Biden ap- vention last month and was "This is an election between
have accepted him — some- mandate the number of Su- pealed to the few remaining meant to avoid the ideologi- Donald Trump and democ-
times grudgingly — as their preme Court justices, which moderate Senate Republicans cal clashes that Clinton en- racy and democracy must
party's leader. But, in the fi- has changed over time. In to buck their party's leader- dured four years ago. win.”
nal weeks of the campaign, 1937, President Franklin D. ship, rather than to progres-
the Supreme Court vacancy Roosevelt promoted legis- sives looking for him to sup- Sanders, who opposes Su- Just getting Biden elected
is threatening to inflame old lation to “pack the court” port larger court. preme Court expansion, and might not be enough for
divides. by expanding its number of Since then, Biden has largely Warren, who has suggested everyone, though. Adam
justices, an effort that stalled sought to avoid the issue as she'd be willing to support Green, co-founder of the
Some activists on the left are once the justices began to he's campaigned in battle- it, have similarly used Gins- Progressive Change Cam-
pressing Biden to endorse ex- rule in his favor on policies ground states, preferring in- burg's death as a rallying cry paign Committee, called the
panding the number of high tied to the New Deal. stead to focus on Trump's for Biden. coming Senate nomination
court justices should he win handling of the coronavi- “Democracy as we know it fight Biden’s chance to of-
the White House and Dem- Since then, the makeup of the rus pandemic and high un- is in danger,” Warren said at fer a “first big show of force
ocrats take control of the court hasn't been a prominent employment. He ducked a a virtual event with Virginia as leader of the Democratic
Senate. But Biden, who ran issue in national politics. That question about changes to leaders, calling Republican Party.”
a relatively centrist primary began to change after Justice the court during an interview court efforts “the last gasp “He can quickly unify Dem-
campaign, hasn't embraced Brett Kavanaugh's conten- with a Wisconsin television of a desperate party that is ocrats in saying no confirma-
those calls, worried they may tious 2018 nomination fight. station, saying a response overrepresented in the hall tion until after inauguration,"
intensify the nation's partisan Calls to add justices grew would “shift all the focus.” of power." During a speech Green said. “And promising
split. There's little indication much louder this week in re- Biden has also said Demo- Thursday, Sanders warned to expand the court if Repub-
that large swaths of progres- sponse to the GOP's rush to crats should concentrate on that Trump is openly sug- licans do an end run around
sives will abandon Biden or fill Ginsburg's seat before the making it clear for voters why gesting that he'll brand as il- democracy.”
back third-party candidates, election, which would leave
moves that wounded Demo- the court with six conserva-
crat Hillary Clinton's 2016 tives and three liberals.
bid. But activists insist they “The politics of this are mov-
will keep pressure on Biden ing very, very fast,” said Aar-
to pursue dramatic reforms on Belkin, director of Take
to the Supreme Court if Re- Back the Court, which advo-
publicans move forward with cates for increasing the num-
a plan to quickly approve ber of justices. “And under a
President Donald Trump's Biden administration, when
pick to replace the late Justice the court has the administra-
Ruth Bader Ginsburg. tion handcuffed on Day One,
I think the politics are going
“The majority of Berniecrats to be changing even more
will most likely vote for Vice quickly.” That puts Biden in a
President Joe Biden,” said tough spot. As someone who
Nina Turner, a former Ohio spent 36 years in the Sen-
state senator and top adviser ate, he built a career revering
to progressive Sen. Bernie Washington's institutions.
Sanders’ 2016 and 2020 pres- During the 2020 primary, he
idential campaigns. “That pointedly declined to join
doesn’t mean that they are rivals such as Massachusetts
not going to raise hell all the Sen. Elizabeth Warren or
way.” “Biden should make it California Sen. Kamala Har-
clear that he will fight back ris, who is now his running
by expanding the court if he mate, in being open to court
wins,” said Turner, who is expansion.